27 - Marble

Hello friends, Welcome to the Rock Repository at the Department of Geology, Shivaji Science College, Nagpur.

I am Marble, a non-foliated metamorphic rock that is formed due to the metamorphism of limestone. I am composed primarily of the mineral calcite and usually contain other minerals such as clay minerals, micas, quartz, pyrite, iron oxides and graphite. I am usually formed at the convergent plate boundaries where large areas of the Earth’s crust are exposed to heat and pressure of regional metamorphism. Some varieties of me are also formed due to the contact metamorphism, when a hot magma body heats the adjacent limestone. This process also usually occurs at convergent plate boundaries. I often occur interbedded with other metamorphic rocks such as mica schists, phyllites, gneisses and granulites. I am a light colored rock often white in color but due to added impurities, I may occur as blue, green, pink, yellow, or black in color. I am typically composed of an interlocking mosaic texture of carbonate mineral grains.  On the basis of presence of amphibole minerals, I am classified into tremolite marble and actinolite marble. I have been used to make buildings and art works for thousands of years in some very famous places, for example – Marble on the Taj Mahal, Buckingham Palace, and floors in the Pantheon. I am also used in making floor tiles, stair treads and many other pieces of decorative stones. Thank you for visiting.